RESIDENTS were forced to flee their homes when fire raged through a row of terraced houses in Crewe yesterday.

Flames spread through the roof space of three houses on Lord Street in Crewe - as fire-fighters struggled to get down the narrow street jammed with parked cars.

The drama unfolded during the early hours of Tuesday morning after fire broke out in one house.

It quickly spread to neighbouring houses. Residents were woken up and evacuated from their homes in nightwear.

A mother and baby were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene while a 91-year-old woman, rescued earlier by neighbours, was comforted by friends.

The heat of the fire caused windows in several properties to explode sending shards of glass over back yards.

William Davies, who lives next door to the house where the fire started, said: 'My neighbour came banging on the door and screaming there was a fire at about 1.30am.

'I got my wife and dog out and went round to my neighbour's house to wake her up.

'Then we went to the 91-year-old lady who lives next door to her and woke her up and got her pet bird out.

'I heard the windows at the back popping. My house is gutted.'

His next door neighbour, Maria Murray, 70, said: 'I panicked and ran out with just my pyjamas on and no shoes. The firemen pulled all my belongings from the loft, they are sentimental to me and can't be replaced.'

Resident Pamina Hannan said: 'The firemen thought they had it out by about 5.30am but then it started up again later on. It was chaos. The fire engines couldn't get down the street for parked cars. In the commotion people had to start moving their cars.'

Neighbour Chris Everall said: 'We have been trying to get the pavements narrowed for about 20 years. We've all raised concerns about emergency situations like this.'